Wave antenna wireless communication device and method

ABSTRACT

A wireless communication device coupled to a wave antenna that provides greater increased durability and impedance matching. The wave antenna is a conductor that is bent in alternating sections to form peaks and valleys. The wireless communication device is coupled to the wave antenna to provide wireless communication with other communication devices, such as an interrogation reader. The wireless communication device and wave antenna may be placed on objects, goods, or other articles of manufacture that are subject to forces such that the wave antenna may be stretched or compressed during the manufacture and/or use of such object, good or article of manufacture. The wave antenna, because of its bent structure, is capable of stretching and compressing more easily than other structures, reducing the wireless communication device&#39;s susceptibility to damage or breaks that might render the wireless communication device coupled to the wave antenna unable to properly communicate information wirelessly.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to a wave antenna coupled to awireless communication device so that the wireless communication devicecan wirelessly communicate information.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Wireless communication devices are commonly used today towirelessly communicate information about goods. For example,transponders may be attached to goods during their manufacture,transport and/or distribution to provide information, such as the good'sidentification number, expiration date, date of manufacture or “born on”date, lot number, and the like. The transponder allows this informationto be obtained unobtrusively using wireless communication withoutslowing down the manufacturing, transportation, and/or distributionprocess.

[0003] Some goods involve environmental factors that are critical totheir manufacture and/or intended operation. An example of such a goodis a vehicle tire. It may be desirable to place a wireless communicationdevice in a tire so that information regarding the tire, such as atire's identification, pressure, temperature, and other environmentalinformation, can be wirelessly communicated to an interrogation readerduring the tire's manufacture and/or use.

[0004] Tire pressure monitoring may be particularly important since thepressure in a tire governs its proper operation and safety in use. Forexample, too little pressure in a tire during its use can cause a tireto be damaged by the weight of a vehicle supported by the tire. Too muchpressure can cause a tire to rupture. Tire pressure must be testedduring the manufacturing process to ensure that the tire meets intendeddesign specifications. The tire pressure should also be within a certainpressure limits during use in order to avoid dangerous conditions.Knowledge of the tire pressure during the operation of a vehicle can beused to inform an operator and/or vehicle system that a tire has adangerous pressure condition. The vehicle may indicate a pressurecondition by generating an alarm or warning signal to the operator ofthe vehicle.

[0005] During the manufacturing process of a tire, the rubber materialcomprising the vehicle tire is violently stretched during itsmanufacture before taking final shape. Wireless communication devicesplaced inside tires during their manufacture must be able to withstandthis stretching and compression and still be able to operate properlyafter the completion of the tire's manufacture. Since wirelesscommunication devices are typically radio-frequency communicationdevices, an antenna must be coupled to the wireless communication devicefor communication. This antenna and wireless communication devicecombination may be placed in the inside of the tire along its inner wallor inside the rubber of tire for example. This results in stretching andcompression of the wireless communication device and antenna wheneverthe tire is stretched and compressed. Often, the antenna is stretchedand subsequently damaged or broken thereby either disconnecting thewireless communication device from an antenna or changing the length ofthe antenna, which changes the operating frequency of the antenna. Ineither case, the wireless communication device may be unable tocommunicate properly when the antenna is damaged or broken.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide anantenna for a wireless communication device that can withstand a force,such as stretching or compression, and not be susceptible to damage or abreak. In this manner, a high level of operability can be achieved withwireless communication devices coupled to antennas for applicationswhere a force is placed on the antenna.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] The present invention relates to a wave antenna that is coupledto a wireless communication device, such as a transponder, to wirelesslycommunicate information. The wave antenna is formed through a series ofalternating bends in a substantially straight conductor, such as a wire,to form at least two different sections wherein at least one section ofthe conductor is bent at an angle of less than 180 degrees with respectto the other. A wave antenna is capable of stretching when subjected toa force without being damaged. A wave antenna can also provide improvedimpedance matching capability between the antenna and a wirelesscommunication device because of the reactive interaction betweendifferent sections of the antenna conductor. In general, varying thecharacteristics of the conductor wire of the wave antenna, such asdiameter, the angle of the bends, the lengths of the sections formed bythe bends, and the type of conductor wire, will modify the crosscoupling and, hence, the impedance of the wave antenna.

[0008] In a first wave antenna embodiment, a wireless communicationdevice is coupled to a single conductor wave antenna to form a monopolewave antenna.

[0009] In a second wave antenna embodiment, a wireless communicationdevice is coupled to two conductor wave antennas to form a dipole waveantenna.

[0010] In a third wave antenna embodiment, a dipole wave antenna iscomprised out of conductors having different sections having differentlengths. The first section is coupled to the wireless communicationdevice and forms a first antenna having a first operating frequency. Thesecond section is coupled to the first section and forms a secondantenna having a second operating frequency. The wireless communicationdevice is capable of communicating at each of these two frequenciesformed by the first antenna and the second antenna.

[0011] In a fourth wave antenna embodiment, a resonating conductor isadditionally coupled to the wireless communication device to provide asecond antenna operating at a second operating frequency. The resonatingring may also act as a stress relief for force placed on the waveantenna so that such force is not placed on the wireless communicationdevice.

[0012] In another embodiment, the wireless communication device iscoupled to a wave antenna and is placed inside a tire so thatinformation can be wirelessly communicated from the tire to aninterrogation reader. The wave antenna is capable of stretching andcompressing, without being damged, as the tire is stretched andcompressed during its manufacture and pressurization during use on avehicle.

[0013] In another embodiment, the interrogation reader determines thepressure inside a tire by the response from a wireless communicationdevice coupled to a wave antenna placed inside the tire. When the tireand, therefore, the wave antenna stretch to a certain length indicativethat the tire is at a certain threshold pressure, the length of theantenna will be at the operating frequency of the interrogation readerso that the wireless communication device is capable of responding tothe interrogation reader.

[0014] In another embodiment, a method of manufacture is disclosed onone method of manufacturing the wave antenna out of a straight conductorand attaching wireless communication devices to the wave antenna. Theuncut string of wireless communication devices and wave antennas formone continuous strip that can be wound on a reel and later unwound, cutand applied to a good, object, or article of manufacture.

[0015] Those skilled in the art will appreciate the scope of the presentinvention and realize additional aspects thereof after reading thefollowing detailed description of the preferred embodiments inassociation with the accompanying drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The accompanying drawing figures incorporated in and forming apart of this specification illustrate several aspects of the invention,and together with the description serve to explain the principles of theinvention.

[0017]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an interrogation reader andwireless communication device system that may be used with the presentinvention;

[0018]FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of a monopole wave antenna coupledto a wireless communication device for wireless communications;

[0019]FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of a dipole wave antenna coupled toa wireless communication device for wireless communications;

[0020]FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a dipole wave antenna coupled toa wireless communication device wherein a first portion of the waveantenna operates at a first frequency and a second portion of the waveantenna coupled to the first portion operates at a second frequency;

[0021]FIG. 4A is a schematic diagram of a wave antenna and a ringresonator both coupled to a wireless communication device wherein thewave antenna operates at a first frequency and the ring resonatoroperates at a second frequency;

[0022]FIG. 4B is a schematic diagram of the wave antenna and a ringresonator as illustrated in FIG. 4A, except that the ring resonator isadditionally mechanically coupled to the wave antenna as a mechanicalstress relief;

[0023]FIG. 4C is a schematic diagram of an alternative embodiment toFIG. 4B;

[0024]FIG. 5A is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of a waveantenna and wireless communication device;

[0025]FIG. 5B is a schematic diagram of a compressed version of the waveantenna illustrated in FIG. 5A;

[0026]FIG. 6A is a schematic diagram of a wireless communication deviceand wave antenna attached to the inside of a tire for wirelesscommunication of information about the tire;

[0027]FIG. 6B is a schematic diagram of FIG. 6A, except that the tire isunder pressure and is stretching the wave antenna;

[0028]FIG. 7 is a flowchart diagram of a tire pressure detection systemexecuted by an interrogation reader by communicating with a wirelesscommunication device coupled to a wave antenna inside a tire like thatillustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B.

[0029]FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a reporting system forinformation wirelessly communicated from a tire to an interrogationreader;

[0030]FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a process of manufacturing a waveantenna and coupling the wave antenna to a wireless communicationdevice; and

[0031]FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of an inductance tuning shortprovided by the manufacturing process illustrated in FIG. 9.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] The present invention relates to a wave antenna that is coupledto a wireless communication device, such as a transponder, to wirelesslycommunicate information. The wave antenna is formed through a series ofalternating bends in a substantially straight conductor, such as a wire,to form at least two different sections wherein at least one section ofthe conductor is bent at an angle of less than 180 degrees with respectto each other. A wave antenna is capable of stretching without beingdamaged when subjected to a force. A wave antenna can also provideimproved impedance matching capability between the antenna and awireless communication device because of the reactive interactionbetween different sections of the antenna conductor. In general, varyingthe characteristics of the conductor wire of the wave antenna, such asdiameter, the angle of the bends, the lengths of the sections formed bythe bends, and the type of conductor wire, will modify the crosscoupling and, hence, the impedance of the wave antenna.

[0033] Before discussing the particular aspects and applications of thewave antenna as illustrated in FIGS. 2-10 of this application, awireless communication system that may be used with the presentinvention is discussed below.

[0034]FIG. 1 illustrates a wireless communication device andcommunication system that may be used with the present invention. Thewireless communication device 10 is capable of communicating informationwirelessly and may include a control system 12, communicationelectronics 14, and memory 16. The wireless communication device 10 mayalso be known as a radio-frequency identification device (RFID). Thecommunication electronics 14 is coupled to an antenna 17 for wirelesslycommunicating information in radio-frequency signals. The communicationelectronics 14 is capable of receiving modulated radio-frequency signalsthrough the antenna 17 and demodulating these signals into informationpassed to the control system 12. The antenna 17 may be any type ofantenna, including but not limited to a pole or slot antenna. Theantenna 17 may be internal or external to the wireless communicationdevice 10.

[0035] The control system 12 may be any type of circuitry or processorthat receives and processes information received by the communicationelectronics 14, including a micro-controller or microprocessor. Thewireless communication device 10 may also contain a memory 16 forstorage of information. Such information may be any type of informationabout goods, objects, or articles of manufacture, including but notlimited to identification, tracking, environmental information, such aspressure and temperature, and other pertinent information. The memory 16may be electronic memory, such as random access memory (RAM), read-onlymemory (ROM), flash memory, diode, etc., or the memory 16 may bemechanical memory, such as a switch, dipswitch, etc.

[0036] The control system 12 may also be coupled to sensors that senseenvironmental information concerning the wireless communication device10. For instance, the control system 12 may be coupled to a pressuresensor 18 to sense the pressure on the wireless communication device 10and/or its surroundings. The control system 12 may also be coupled to atemperature sensor 19 to sense the temperature of the wirelesscommunication device 10 or the ambient temperature around the wirelesscommunication device 10. More information on different types of pressuresensors 18 that can be used to couple to the control system aredisclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,299,349 and 6,272,936, entitled “Pressureand temperature sensor” and “Pressure sensor,” respectively, both ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0037] The temperature sensor 19 may be contained within the wirelesscommunication device 10, or external to the wireless communicationdevice 10. The temperature sensor 19 may be any variety of temperaturesensing elements, such as a thermistor or chemical device. One suchtemperature sensor 19 is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,524, entitled“Temperature sensor,” incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.The temperature sensor 19 may also be incorporated into the wirelesscommunication device 10 or its control system 12, like that described inU.S. Pat. No. 5,961,215, entitled “Temperature sensor integral withmicroprocessor and methods of using same,” incorporated herein byreference in its entirety. However, note that the present invention isnot limited to any particular type of temperature sensor 19.

[0038] Some wireless communication devices 10 are termed “active”devices in that they receive and transmit data using their own energysource coupled to the wireless communication device 10. A wirelesscommunication device 10 may use a battery for power as described in U.S.Pat. No. 6,130,602 entitled “Radio frequency data communicationsdevice,” or may use other forms of energy, such as a capacitor asdescribed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,603, entitled “Implantable biosensingtransponder.” Both of the preceding patents are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

[0039] Other wireless communication devices 10 are termed “passive”devices meaning that they do not actively transmit and therefore may notinclude their own energy source for power. One type of passive wirelesscommunication device 10 is known as a “transponder.” A transpondereffectively transmits information by reflecting back a received signalfrom an external communication device, such as an interrogation reader.An example of a transponder is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,280,entitled “Frequency diversity transponder arrangement,” incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety. Another example of a transponder isdescribed in co-pending patent application Ser. No. 09/678,271, entitled“Wireless communication device and method,” incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

[0040]FIG. 1 depicts communication between a wireless communicationdevice 10 and an interrogation reader 20. The interrogation reader 20may include a control system 22, an interrogation communicationelectronics 24, memory 26, and an interrogation antenna 28. Theinterrogation antenna 28 may be any type of antenna, including a poleantenna or a slot antenna. The interrogation reader 20 may also containits own internal energy source 30, or the interrogation reader 20 may bepowered through an external power source. The energy source 30 mayinclude batteries, a capacitor, solar cell or other medium that containsenergy. The energy source 30 may also be rechargeable. A timer 23 mayalso be coupled to the control system 22 for performing tasks thatrequire timing operations.

[0041] The interrogation reader 20 communicates with the wirelesscommunication device 10 by emitting an electronic signal 32 modulated bythe interrogation communication electronics 24 through the interrogationantenna 28. The interrogation antenna 28 may be any type of antenna thatcan radiate a signal 32 through a field 34 so that a reception device,such as a wireless communication device 10, can receive such signal 32through its own antenna 17. The field 34 may be electromagnetic,magnetic, or electric. The signal 32 may be a message containinginformation and/or a specific request for the wireless communicationdevice 10 to perform a task or communicate back information. When theantenna 17 is in the presence of the field 34 emitted by theinterrogation reader 20, the communication electronics 14 are energizedby the energy in the signal 32, thereby energizing the wirelesscommunication device 10. The wireless communication device 10 remainsenergized so long as its antenna 17 is in the field 34 of theinterrogation reader 20. The communication electronics 14 demodulatesthe signal 32 and sends the message containing information and/orrequest to the control system 12 for appropriate actions.

[0042] It is readily understood to one of ordinary skill in the art thatthere are many other types of wireless communications devices andcommunication techniques than those described herein, and the presentinvention is not limited to a particular type of wireless communicationdevice, technique or method.

[0043]FIG. 2A illustrates a first embodiment of a wave antenna 17coupled to a wireless communication device 10 for wirelesscommunication. This embodiment illustrates a monopole wave antenna 17.The wave antenna 17 is formed by a conducting material, such as a wireor foil for example, that is bent in alternating sections to form aseries of peaks and valleys. Any type of material can be used to formthe wave antenna 17 so long as the material can conduct, electricalenergy. A wave antenna 17 in its broadest form is a conductor that isbent in at least one position at an angle less than 180 degrees to format least two different sections 21. The monopole wave antenna 17 in thisembodiment contains seven alternating bends to form a saw-tooth waveshape. The monopole wave antenna 17 is coupled, by either a direct orreactive coupling, to an input port (not shown) on the wirelesscommunication device 10 to provide an antenna 17 for wirelesscommunications. Since the wireless communication device 10 containsanother input port that is coupled to the monopole wave antenna 17, thisadditional input port is grounded.

[0044] A wave antenna 17 may be particularly advantageous to use with awireless communication device 10 in lieu of a straight antenna. Oneadvantage of a wave antenna 17 is that it is tolerant to stretchingwithout substantial risk of damage or breakage to the conductor. Certaintypes of goods, objects, or articles of manufacture may encounter aforce, such as stretching or compression, during their manufactureand/or normal use. If a wireless communication device 10 uses a straightconductor as antenna 17 and is attached to goods, objects, or articlesof manufacture that are subjected to a force during their manufacture oruse, the antenna 17 may be damaged or broken when the good, object orarticle of manufacture is subjected to such force. If the antenna 17 isdamaged or broken, this may cause the wireless communication device 10to be incapable of wireless communication since a change in the lengthor shape of the conductor in the antenna 17 may change the operatingfrequency of the antenna 17.

[0045] A wave antenna 17, because of its bent sections 21, also causesthe field emitted by the conductors in sections 21 to capacitivelycouple to other sections 21 of the wave antenna 17. This results inimproved impedance matching with the wireless communication device 10 toprovide greater and more efficient energy transfer between the wirelesscommunication device 10 and the wave antenna 17. As is well known to oneof ordinary skill in the art, the most efficient energy transfer occursbetween a wireless communication device 10 and an antenna 17 when theimpedance of the antenna 17 is the complex conjugate of the impedance ofthe wireless communication device 10.

[0046] The impedance of a straight conductor antenna 17 is dependant onthe type, size, and shape of the conductor. The length of the antenna 17is the primary variable that determines the operating frequency of theantenna 17. Unlike a straight conductor antenna 17, a wave antenna 17can also be varied in other ways not possible in a straight conductorantenna 17. In a wave antenna 17, other variables exist in the design ofthe antenna in addition to the type, size, shape and length of theconductor. The impedance of a wave antenna 17 can also be varied byvarying the length of the individual sections 21 of the conductor makingup the wave antenna 17 and the angle between these individual sections21 in addition to the traditional variables available in straightconductor antennas 17. These additional variables available in waveantennas 17 can be varied while maintaining the overall length of theconductor so that the operating frequency of the wave antenna 17 ismaintained. In this embodiment, the lengths of the individual sections21 and the angles between the individual sections 21 are the same;however, they do not have to be.

[0047] In summary, a wave antenna 17 provides the ability to alter andselect additional variables not possible in straight conductor antennas17 that affect the impedance of the antenna 17, thereby creating agreater likelihood that a wave antenna's 17 impedance can be designed tomore closely match the impedance of the wireless communication device10. Of course, as is well known by one of ordinary skill in the art, thetype of materials attached to the wave antenna 17 and the material'sdielectric properties also vary the impedance and operating frequency ofthe wave antenna 17. These additional variables should also be takeninto account in the final design of the wave antenna 17. The reactivecross-coupling that occurs between different sections 21 of the waveantenna 17 also contribute to greater impedance matching capability ofthe wave antenna 17 to a wireless communication device 10. Moreinformation on impedance matching between a wireless communicationdevice 10 and an antenna 17 for efficient transfer of energy isdisclosed in U.S. pending patent application Ser. No. 09/536,334,entitled “Remote communication using slot antenna,” incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety.

[0048]FIG. 2B illustrates a wave antenna 17 similar to that illustratedin FIG. 2A; however, the wave antenna in FIG. 2B is a dipole waveantenna 17. Two conductors 17A, 17B are coupled to the wirelesscommunication device 10 to provide wireless communications. In thisembodiment, the length of the conductors 17A, 17B that form the dipolewave antenna 17 are each 84 millimeters in length. The dipole waveantenna 17 operates at a frequency of 915 MHz. In this embodiment, thelengths of the individual sections 21 and the angles between theindividual sections 21 that make up the dipole wave antenna 17 are thesame; however, they do not have to be.

[0049]FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of a wave antenna 17 wherethe lengths of the individual sections 21 and the angle between theindividual sections 21 are not the same. Two conductors are coupled tothe wireless communication device 10 to create a dipole wave antenna 17.The first conductor is comprised out of two sections 21A, 21C, eachhaving a different number of sections 21 and lengths. The two sections21A, 21C are also symmetrically contained in the second conductor 21B,21D. This causes the wave antenna 17 to act as a dipole antenna thatresonates and receives signals at two different operating frequencies sothat the wireless communication device 10 is capable of communicating attwo different frequencies.

[0050] The first symmetrical sections 21A, 21B are 30.6 millimeters orλ/4 in length and are coupled to the wireless communication device 10 sothat the wave antenna 17 is capable of receiving 2.45 GHz signals. Thesecond symmetrical sections 21C, 21D are coupled to the first sections21A, 21B, respectively, to form a second dipole antenna for receivingsignals at a second frequency. In this embodiment, the second sections21C, 21D are 70 millimeters in length and are coupled to the firstsections 21A, 21B, respectively, to form lengths that are designed toreceive 915 MHz signals. Also note that bends in the conductor in thewave antenna 17 are not constant. The bends in the wave antenna 17 thatare made upward are made at an angle of less than 180 degrees. The bendsin the wave antenna 17 that are made downward are made at an angle of180 degrees.

[0051] Note that it is permissible for bends in sections 21 of theconductor to be 180 degrees so long as all of the sections 21 in theconductor are not bent at 180 degrees with respect to adjacent sections21. If all of the sections 21 in the conductor are bent at 180 degrees,then the conductor will effectively be a straight conductor antenna 17and not a wave antenna 17.

[0052]FIG. 4A illustrates another embodiment of the wave antenna 17coupled to the wireless communication device 10 wherein the wirelesscommunication device 10 is configured to receive signals at twodifferent frequencies. A wave antenna 17 similar the wave antenna 17illustrated in FIG. 2B is coupled to the wireless communication device10 to form a dipole wave antenna 17. A resonating ring 40 is alsocapacitively coupled to the wireless communication device 10 to providea second antenna 17 that operates at a second and different frequencyfrom the operating frequency of the dipole wave antenna 17. Theresonating ring 40 may be constructed out of any type of material solong as the material is conductive.

[0053] This embodiment may be particularly advantageous if it isnecessary for the wireless communication device 10 to be capable ofwirelessly communicating regardless of the force, such as stretching orcompression, exerted on the wave antenna 17. The resonating ring 40 isdesigned to remain in its original shape regardless of the applicationof any force that may be placed on the wireless communication device 10or a good, object, or article of manufacture that contains the wirelesscommunication device 10. Depending on the force exerted on the waveantenna 17 or a good, object or article of manufacture that contains thewave antenna 17 and wireless communication device 10, the length of thewave antenna 17 may change, thereby changing the operating frequency ofthe wave antenna 17. The new operating frequency of the wave antenna 17may be sufficiently different from the normal operating frequency suchthat wave antenna 17 and the wireless communication device 10 could notreceive and/or demodulate signals sent by the interrogation reader 20.The resonating ring 40 is capable of receiving signals 32 regardless ofthe state of the wave antenna 17.

[0054]FIG. 4B also illustrates an embodiment of the present inventionemploying a dipole wave antenna 17 that operates at 915 MHz and aresonating ring 40 that operates at 2.45 GHz. The dipole wave antenna 17and the resonating ring 40 are both coupled to the wirelesscommunication device 10 to allow the wireless communication device 10 tooperate at two different frequencies. However, in this embodiment, theconductors of the dipole wave antenna 17 are looped around theresonating ring 40 at a first inductive turn 42A and a second inductiveturn 42B. In this manner, any force placed on the dipole wave antenna 17will place such force on the resonating ring 40 instead of the wirelesscommunication device 10.

[0055] This embodiment may be advantageous in cases where a force,placed on the dipole wave antenna 17 without providing a reliefmechanism other than the wireless communication device 10 itself wouldpossibly cause the dipole wave antenna 17 to disconnect from thewireless communication device 10, thus causing the wirelesscommunication device 10 to be unable to wirelessly communicate. Theresonating ring 40 may be constructed out of a stronger material thanthe connecting point between the dipole wave antenna 17 and the wirelesscommunication device 10, thereby providing the ability to absorb anyforce placed on the dipole wave antenna 17 without damaging theresonating ring 40. This embodiment may also be particularlyadvantageous if the wireless communication device 10 is placed on agood, object or article of manufacture that undergoes force during itsmanufacture or use, such as a rubber tire, for example.

[0056]FIG. 4C illustrates another embodiment similar to thoseillustrated in FIGS. 4A and 4B. However, the resonating ring 40 isdirectly coupled to the wireless communication device 10, and the dipolewave antenna 17 is directly coupled to the resonating ring 10. A firstand second conducting attachments 44A, 44B are used to couple theresonating ring 40 to the wireless communication device 10. A forceexerted on the dipole wave antenna 17 is exerted on and absorbed by theresonating ring 40 rather than wireless communication device 10 so thatthe wireless communication device 10 is not damaged.

[0057]FIG. 5A illustrates another embodiment of the wave antenna 17 thatis stretched wherein the bending are at angles close to 180 degrees, butslightly less, to form sections 21 close to each other. The couplingbetween the individual elements in the wave antenna 17 will be strongdue to the proximity. Therefore, a small change in stretching of thewave antenna 17 will have a large effect on the operating frequency ofthe wave antenna 17. Since the change in the operating frequency will begreat, it will be easier for a small stretching of the wave antenna 17to change the operating frequency of the wave antenna 17.

[0058]FIG. 5B illustrates the same wave antenna 17 and wirelesscommunication device 10 illustrated in FIG. 5A; however, the waveantenna 17 is not being stretched. When this wave antenna 17 is notbeing stretched, the bent sections in the wave antenna 17 touch eachother to effectively act as a regular dipole antenna without angledsections 21. If this embodiment, each pole 17A, 17B of the wave antenna17 in its normal form is 30.6 millimeters long and has an operatingfrequency of 2.45 GHz such that the wireless communication device 10 iscapable of responding to a frequency of 2.45 GHz.

[0059]FIG. 6A illustrates one type of article of manufacture thatundergoes force during its manufacture and use and that may include awireless communication device 10 and wave antenna 17 like thatillustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B. This embodiment includes a rubber tire50 well known in the prior art that is used on transportation vehicles.The tire 50 is designed to be pressurized with air when placed inside atire 50 mounted on a vehicle wheel forming a seal between the wheel andthe tire 50. The tire 50 is comprised of a tread surface 52 that has acertain defined thickness 53. The tread surface 52 has a left outer side54, a right outer side 56 and an orifice 58 in the center where the tire50 is designed to fit on a wheel. The left outer side 54 and right outerside 56 are bent downward at angles substantially perpendicular to theplane of the tread surface 52 to form a left outer wall 60 and a rightouter wall 62. When the left outer wall 60 and right outer wall 62 areformed, a left inner wall 64 and a right inner wall 66 are also formedas well. Additionally, depending on the type of tire 50, a steel belt 68may also be included inside the rubber of the tire 50 under the surfaceof the tread surface 52 for increase performance and life. Moreinformation on the construction and design of a typical tire 50 isdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,554,242, entitled “Method for making amulti-component tire,” incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0060] In this embodiment, a wireless communication device 10 and dipolewave antenna 17 are attached on the inner surface of the tire 50 on theother side of the tread surface 52. During the manufacturing of a tire50, the rubber in the tire 50 undergoes a lamination process whereby thetire 50 may be stretched up to approximately 1.6 times its normal sizeand then shrunk back down to the normal dimensions of a wheel. If awireless communication device 10 is placed inside the tire 50 during themanufacturing process, the wireless communication device 10 and antenna17 must be able to withstand the stretching and shrinking that a tire 50undergoes without being damaged. The wave antenna 17 of the presentinvention is particularly suited for this application since the waveantenna 17 can stretch and compress without damaging the conductor ofthe wave antenna 17.

[0061] Also, a tire 50 is inflated with gas, such as air, to a pressureduring its normal operation. If the wireless communication device 10 andantenna 17 are placed inside the tread surface 52 or inside the tire 50,the wireless communication device 10 and antenna 17 will stretch andcompress depending on the pressure level in the tire 50. The morepressure contained in the tire 50, the more the tire 50 will stretch.Therefore, any wireless communication device 10 and antenna 17 that iscontained inside the tire 50 or inside the rubber of the tire 50 must beable to withstand this stretching without being damaged and/or affectingthe proper operation of the wireless communication device 10.

[0062]FIG. 6B illustrates the same tire illustrated in FIG. 6A. However,in this embodiment, the tire 50 is under a pressure and has stretchedthe dipole wave antenna 17. Because the dipole wave antenna 17 iscapable of stretching without being damaged or broken, the dipole waveantenna 17 is not damaged and does not break when the tire 50 isstretched when subjected to a pressure. Note that the wave antenna 17placed inside the tire 50 could also be a monopole wave antenna 17, asillustrated in FIG. 2A, or any other variation of the wave antenna 17,including the wave antennas 17 illustrated in FIGS. 2B, 3, 4A-4C, 5A,and 5B. Also, note that the wireless communication device 10 and waveantenna 17 could be provided anywhere on the inside of the tire 50,including inside the thickness 53 of the tread surface 52, the leftinner wall 64 or the right inner wall 66.

[0063]FIG. 7 illustrates a flowchart process wherein the interrogationreader 20 is designed to communicate with the wireless communicationdevice 10 and wave antenna 17 to determine when the pressure of the tire50 has reached a certain designed threshold pressure. Because a waveantenna 17 changes length based on the force exerted on its conductors,a wave antenna 17 will stretch if placed inside a tire 50 as thepressure inside the tire 50 rises. The wave antenna 17 can be designedso that the length of the wave antenna 17 only reaches a certaindesigned length to be capable of receiving signals at the operatingfrequency of the interrogation reader 20 when the tire 50 reaches acertain threshold pressure.

[0064] The process starts (block 70), and the interrogation reader 20emits a signal 32 through the field 34 as discussed previously foroperation of the interrogation reader 20 and wireless communicationdevice 10 illustrated in FIG. 1. The interrogation reader 20 checks tosee if a response signal has been received from the wirelesscommunication device 10 (decision 74). If no response signal is receivedby the interrogation reader 20 from the wireless communication device10, the interrogation reader 20 continues to emit the signal 34 in alooping fashion (block 72) until a response is received. Once a responseis received by the interrogation reader 20 from the wirelesscommunication device 10 (decision 74), this is indicative of the factthat the wave antenna 17 coupled to the wireless communication device 10has stretched to a certain length so that the wave antenna's 17operating frequency is compatible with the operating frequency of theinterrogation reader 20 (block 76). The interrogation reader 20 canreport that the tire 50 containing the wireless communication device 10and wave antenna 17 has reached a certain threshold pressure. Note thatthe wave antennas 17 may be any of the wave antennas 17 illustrated inFIGS. 2B, 3, 4A-4C, 5A, and 5B.

[0065]FIG. 8 illustrates one embodiment of a reporting system that maybe provided for the interrogation reader 20. The interrogation reader 20may be coupled to a reporting system 77. This reporting system 77 may belocated in close proximity to the interrogation reader 20, and may becoupled to the interrogation reader 20 by either a wired or wirelessconnection. The reporting system 77 may be a user interface or othercomputer system that is capable of receiving and/or storing datacommunications received from an interrogation reader 20. Thisinformation may be any type of information received from a wirelesscommunication device 10, including but not limited to identificationinformation, tracking information, and/or environmental informationconcerning the wireless communication device 10 and/or its surroundings,such as pressure and temperature. The information may be used for anypurpose. For example, identification, tracking, force and/or pressureinformation concerning a tire 50 during its manufacture may becommunicated to the reporting system 77 which may then be used fortracking, quality control, and supply-chain management. If theinformation received by the reporting system is not normal or proper,the reporting system 77 may control the manufacturing operations to stopand/or change processes during manufacture and/or alert personnel incharge of the manufacturing process.

[0066] The reporting system 77 may also communicate information receivedfrom the wireless communication device 10, via the interrogation reader20, to a remote system 78 located remotely from the reporting system 77and/or the interrogation reader 20. The communication between thereporting system 77 and the remote system 78 may be through wiredcommunication, wireless communication, modem communication or othernetworking communication, such as the Internet. Alternatively, theinterrogation reader 20 may communicate the information received fromthe wireless communication device 10 directly to the remote system 78rather than first reporting the information through the reporting system77 using the same or similar communication mediums as may be usedbetween the reporting system 77 and the remote system 78.

[0067]FIG. 9 illustrates a method of manufacturing a wave antenna 17 andassembly of the wave antenna 17 to wireless communication devices 10.The process involves eight total steps. Each of the steps is labeled incircled numbers illustrated in FIG. 9. The first step of the processinvolves passing an antenna 17 conductor wire or foil through cogs 120to create the alternating bends in the antenna conductor 17 to form thewave antenna 17. The cogs 120 are comprised of a top cog 120A and abottom cog 120B. The top cog 120A rotates clockwise, and the bottom cog120B rotates counterclockwise. Each cog 120A, 120B includes teeth thatinterlock with each other as the cogs 120A, 120B rotate. As the antennaconductor 17 passes through the cogs 120A, 120B, alternating bends areplaced in the antenna conductor 17 to form peaks 121 and valleys 122 inthe antenna conductor 17 to form the wave antenna 17.

[0068] The second step of the process involves placing tin solder onportions of the wave antenna 17 so that a wireless communication device10 can be soldered and attached to the wave antenna 17 in a later step.A soldering station 123 is provided and is comprised of a first tinningposition 123A and a second tinning position 123B. For every predefinedportion of the wave antenna 17 that passes by the soldering station 123,the first tinning position 123A and second tinning position 123B raiseupward to place tin solder on the left side of the peak 124A and anadjacent right side of the peak 124A so that the wireless communicationdevice 10 can be soldered to the wave antenna 17 in the third step ofthe process. Please note that the process may also use glue instead ofsolder to attach the wireless communication device 10 to the waveantenna 17.

[0069] The third step of the process involves attaching a wirelesscommunication device 10 to the wave antenna 17. A wireless communicationdevice is attached to the left side of the peak 124A and the right sideof the peak 124B at the points of the tin solder. An adhesive 126 isused to attach the leads or pins (not shown) of the wirelesscommunication device 10 to the tin solder, and solder paste is added tothe points where the wireless communication device 10 attach to the tinsolder on the wave antenna 17 to conductively attach the wirelesscommunication device 10 to the wave antenna 17. Note that when thewireless communication device 10 is attached to the wave antenna 17, thepeak remains on the wireless communication device 10 that causes a short128 between the two input ports (not shown) of the wirelesscommunication device 10 and the two wave antennas 17 coupled to thewireless communication device 10.

[0070] The fourth step in the process involves passing the wirelesscommunication device 10 as connected to the wave antenna 17 through ahot gas re-flow soldering process well known to one of ordinary skill inthe art to securely attach the solder between the leads of the wirelesscommunication device 10 and the wave antenna 17.

[0071] The fifth step in the process involves the well-known process ofcleaning away any excess solder that is unused and left over during theprevious soldering.

[0072] The sixth step in the process involves removing the short 128between the two wave antennas 17 left by the peak 124 of the waveantenna 17 from the third step in the process. Depending on the type ofwireless communication device 10 and its design, the short 128 may ormay not cause the wireless communication device 10 to not properlyoperate to receive signals and re-modulate response signals. If thewireless communication device 10 operation is not affected by this short128, this step can be skipped in the process.

[0073] The seventh step in the process involves encapsulating thewireless communication device 10. The wireless communication device 10is typically in the form of a RF integrated circuit chip that isencapsulated with a hardened, non-conductive material 130, such as aplastic or epoxy, to protect the inside components of the chip from theenvironment.

[0074] The eighth and last step involves winding wireless communicationdevices 10 as attached on the wave antenna 17 onto a reel 130. Thewireless communication devices 10 and wave antenna 17 are contained on astrip since the wave antenna 17 conductor has not been yet cut. When itis desired to apply the wireless communication device 10 and attachedwave antenna 17 to a good, object, or article of manufacture, such as atire 50, the wireless communication device 10 and attached wave antenna17 can be unwound from the reel 130 and the wave antenna 17 conductorcut in the middle between two consecutive wireless communication devices10 to form separate wireless communication device 10 and dipole waveantenna 17 devices.

[0075]FIG. 10 illustrates the short 128 left on the wirelesscommunication device 10 and wave antenna 17 as a tuning inductance. SomeUHF wireless communication devices 10 operate best when a direct current(DC) short, in the form of a tuning inductance, is present across thewireless communication device 10 and therefore the process of removingthe short 128 can be omitted. FIG. 10 illustrates an alternativeembodiment of the wave antenna 17 and wireless communication device 10where an uneven cog 120 has been used in step 1 of the process toproduce an extended loop short 128 across the wireless communicationdevice 10. This gives the required amount of inductance for bestoperation of the wireless communication device 10 as the wave antenna 17and the short 128 are in parallel.

[0076] The embodiments set forth above represent the necessaryinformation to enable those skilled in the art to practice the inventionand illustrate the best mode of practicing the invention. Upon readingthe preceding description in light of the accompanying drawing figures,those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the inventionand will recognize applications of these concepts not particularlyaddressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts andapplications fall within the scope of the disclosure and theaccompanying claims.

[0077] It should be understood that the present invention is not limitedto applications involving a vehicle tire. It should also be understoodthat the present invention is not limited to any particular type ofcomponent, including but not limited to the wireless communicationdevice 10 and its components, the interrogation reader 20 and itscomponents, the pressure sensor 18, the temperature sensor 19, theresonating ring 40, the tire 50 and its components, the reporting system77, the remote system 78, the wheel 100 and its components, the cogs120, the soldering station 123, the adhesive 124, and the encapsulationmaterial 130. For the purposes of this application, couple, coupled, orcoupling is defined as either a direct connection or a reactivecoupling. Reactive coupling is defined as either capacitive or inductivecoupling.

[0078] Those skilled in the art will recognize improvements andmodifications to the preferred embodiments of the present invention. Allsuch improvements and modifications are considered within the scope ofthe concepts disclosed herein and the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wireless communication device, comprising: aRFID chip; a wave antenna coupled to said RFID chip; said wave antennacomprised of at least one conductor that is bent in at least oneposition at an angle less than 180 degrees to form at least twodifferent sections.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said wave antennais comprised from the group consisting of a monopole wave antenna and adipole wave antenna.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least oneconductor is comprised out of two separate conductors that are each bentin at least one position to form an angle and are each coupled to saidRFID chip to form a wave dipole antenna.
 4. The device of claim 1,wherein said at least one conductor is constructed out of a materialcomprised from the group consisting of copper, brass, steel, andzinc-plated steel.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein said at least oneconductor is bent in a plurality of positions to form at least oneinflection point and three or more different sections in said at leastone conductor.
 6. The device of claim 3, wherein said two separateconductors are bent in a plurality of positions to form three or moredifferent sections wherein said two separate conductors each contain atleast one inflection point.
 7. The device of claim 1, wherein said atleast one conductor is coated with a non-conductive material.
 8. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein said antenna is designed to operate at afrequency comprised from the group consisting of around about 915 MHzand around about 2.45 GHz.
 9. The device of claim 1, wherein said atleast two different sections comprise a first section having a firstlength to form a first antenna designed to operate at a first operatingfrequency and a second section having a second length to form a secondantenna designed to operate at a second operating frequency.
 10. Thedevice of claim 9, wherein said first section is coupled to said RFIDchip, and said second section is coupled to said first section.
 11. Thedevice of claim 9, wherein said second section is bent into a pluralityof subsections each having the same length to form said second antenna.12. The device of claim 9, wherein said first section is bent into aplurality of subsections each having the same length to form said firstantenna.
 13. The device of claim 12, wherein said second section is bentinto a plurality of subsections each having the same length to form saidsecond antenna.
 14. The device of claim 1, further comprising aresonating ring coupled to said wave antenna wherein said wave antennaoperates at a first operating frequency and said resonating ring forms asecond antenna that operates at a second operating frequency.
 15. Thedevice of claim 14, wherein said resonating ring is capacatively coupledto said wave antenna.
 16. The device of claim 14, wherein saidresonating ring is additionally coupled to said RFID chip so that aforce placed on said wave antenna will be placed in whole or in part onsaid resonating ring to relieve mechanical stress on said RFID chip. 17.An apparatus, comprising: a wireless communication device coupled to awave antenna that operates at a first operating frequency comprised ofat least one conductor that is bent in at least one position at an angleless than 180 degrees to form at least two different sections; and atire wherein said wireless communication device is mounted to the insideof said tire to detect environmental information inside said tire andwirelessly communicates the environmental information.
 18. The apparatusof claim 17, wherein said environmental information is comprised fromthe group consisting of pressure inside said tire and temperature insidesaid tire.
 19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said tire comprises:an outer surface, comprising: a circular-shaped tread surface having aleft outer side and a right outer side and an orifice; and said leftouter side and said right outer side each fold down at an anglesubstantially perpendicular to said tread surface to form a left outerwall and a right outer wall substantially perpendicular to said treadsurface and to form a left inner wall and a right inner wall attachedsubstantially perpendicular to a internal wall on the opposite side ofsaid tread surface; and wherein said wireless communication device isattached to a wall inside said tire comprised from the group consistingof said left inner wall, said right inner wall, and said internal wall.20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said wave antenna expands whensaid tire is placed under pressure.
 21. The apparatus of claim 20,wherein said wave antenna operates at a second operating frequency whensaid wave antenna expands when said tire is placed under pressure. 22.The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising a resonating ring coupledto said wave antenna wherein said resonating ring forms a second antennathat operates at a second operating frequency.
 23. The apparatus ofclaim 22, wherein said resonating ring is capacatively coupled to saidwave antenna.
 24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said resonatingring is additionally coupled to said RFID chip so that the pressureplaced on said wave antenna when inside said tire will be placed inwhole or in part on said resonating ring to relieve mechanical stress onsaid RFID chip.
 25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said treadsurface is comprised out of rubber having a thickness wherein said waveantenna is contained inside said rubber.
 26. The apparatus of claim 19,wherein said tread surface is comprised out of rubber having a thicknesswherein said wireless communication device is contained inside saidrubber.
 27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said wave antenna iscontained inside said rubber.
 28. The apparatus of claim 26, whereinsaid tread surface contains an inner steel belt inside said rubberwherein said wave antenna is coupled to said inner steel belt.
 29. Theapparatus of claim 28, wherein said coupling of said wave antenna tosaid inner steel belt is comprised from the group consisting of directcoupling, capacitive coupling, and reactive coupling.
 30. The apparatusof claim 29, wherein said wave antenna is contained inside said treadsurface.
 31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said wirelesscommunication device is contained inside said tread surface.
 32. Theapparatus of claim 31, wherein said wave antenna is contained insidesaid tread surface.
 33. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said wirelesscommunication device is coupled to a pressure sensor contained insidesaid tire that measures the pressure inside said tire so that saidwireless communication device can wirelessly communicate the pressureinside said tire as environmental information.
 34. The apparatus ofclaim 17, wherein said wireless communication device is coupled to atemperature sensor contained inside said tire that measures thetemperature inside said tire so that said wireless communication devicecan wirelessly communicate the temperature inside said tire asenvironmental information.
 35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein saidwireless communication device is also coupled to a pressure sensorcontained inside said tire that measures the pressure inside said tireso that said wireless communication device can wirelessly communicatethe pressure and the temperature inside said tire as environmentalinformation.
 36. A system for wirelessly communicating information abouta tire, comprising: an interrogation reader; a wireless communicationdevice coupled to a wave antenna that operates at a first frequency andis comprised of at least one conductor that is bent in at least oneposition at an angle less than 180 degrees to form at least twodifferent sections; and a tire wherein said wireless communicationdevice is mounted to the inside of said tire to detect environmentalinformation inside said tire and wirelessly communicate theenvironmental to said interrogation reader.
 37. The system of claim 36,wherein said information is environmental information comprised from thegroup consisting of pressure inside said tire and temperature insidesaid tire.
 38. The system of claim 36, wherein said wave antenna expandswhen said tire is placed under pressure.
 39. The system of claim 38,wherein said wave antenna operates at a operating frequency that iscompatible with said interrogation reader when said wave antenna expandswhen said tire is placed under a threshold pressure.
 40. The system ofclaim 38, wherein said wave antenna operates at a second operatingfrequency when said wave antenna expands when said tire is placed underpressure.
 41. The system of claim 36, further comprising a resonatingring coupled to said wave antenna wherein said resonating ring forms asecond antenna that operates at a second operating frequency.
 42. Thesystem of claim 41, wherein said resonating ring is capacatively coupledto said wave antenna.
 43. The system of claim 42, wherein saidresonating ring is additionally coupled to said RFID chip so thatpressure placed on said wave antenna when inside said tire will beplaced in whole or in part on said resonating ring to relieve mechanicalstress on said RFID chip.
 44. The system of claim 36, wherein saidwireless communication device is coupled to a pressure sensor containedinside said tire that measures the pressure inside said tire so thatsaid wireless communication device can wirelessly communicate thepressure inside said tire as environmental information to saidinterrogation reader.
 45. The system of claim 36, wherein said wirelesscommunication device is coupled to a temperature sensor contained insidesaid tire that measures the temperature inside said tire so that saidwireless communication device can wirelessly communicate the temperatureinside said tire as environmental information to said interrogationreader.
 46. The system of claim 45, wherein said wireless communicationdevice is also coupled to a pressure sensor contained inside said tirethat measures the pressure inside said tire so that said wirelesscommunication device can wirelessly communicate the pressure and thetemperature inside said tire as environmental information to saidinterrogation reader.
 47. A method for wirelessly communicating with atire, comprising the steps of: placing a wireless communication devicecoupled to a wave antenna that operates at a first operating frequencycomprised of at least one conductor that is bent in at least oneposition at an angle less than 180 degrees to form at least twodifferent sections inside a tire; placing an interrogation readerproximate to said tire; and receiving information wirelessly at a firstfrequency from said wireless communication device inside said tire. 48.The method of claim 47, further comprising the step of sending awireless communication to said wireless communication device before saidstep of receiving information.
 49. The method of claim 47, wherein saidinformation is comprised of environmental information about said tire.50. The method of claim 49, wherein said environmental information iscomprised from the group consisting of temperature inside said tire andpressure inside said tire.
 51. The method of claim 49, furthercomprising the step of sensing the pressure inside said tire andincluding the pressure inside said tire in said information.
 52. Themethod of claim 49, further comprising the step of sensing thetemperature inside said tire and including the temperature inside saidtire in said information.
 53. The method of claim 47, further comprisingthe step of placing said wave antenna under pressure by placing saidtire under pressure.
 54. The method of claim 53, further comprising thestep of receiving information at a second frequency through wirelesscommunication from said wireless communication device when said tire isplaced under a threshold pressure.
 55. The method of claim 47, furthercomprising the step of coupling a resonating ring to said wave antennato form a second antenna that operates at a second frequency.
 56. Themethod of claim 55, further comprising the step of coupling saidresonating ring to said RFID chip so that pressure placed on said waveantenna when inside said tire will be placed in whole or in part on saidresonating ring to relieve mechanical stress on said RFID chip.
 57. Amethod of manufacturing a wave antenna, comprising the steps of: passinga conducting foil through a first cog and a second cog having aplurality of teeth and placed in a vertical plane with respect to eachother wherein said plurality of teeth in said first cog and said secondcog substantially interlock with each other as said first cog rotatesclockwise and said second cog rotates counterclockwise; and placingalternating bends in said conducting foil when said conducting foil ispassed through said first cog and said second cog.
 58. A method ofmanufacturing a wireless communication device that is coupled to a waveantenna, comprising the steps of: passing a conducting foil through afirst cog and a second cog having a plurality of teeth and placed in avertical plane with respect to each other wherein said plurality ofteeth in said first cog and said second cog substantially interlock witheach other as said first cog rotates clockwise and said second cogrotates counterclockwise; placing alternating bends in said conductingfoil when said conducting foil passes through said first cog and saidsecond cogs to form a conducting foil having a plurality of bends thatform a plurality of peaks separated by valleys; and soldering wirelesscommunication chips individually to each side of one of said pluralityof peaks using solder.
 59. The method of claim 58, further comprisingthe step of tinning each side of said plurality of peaks before saidstep of soldering.
 60. The method of claim 58, further comprising thestep of re-flow soldering said wireless communication chips with hot gasafter said step of soldering.
 61. The method of claim 58, furthercomprising the step of cleaning away said excess solder away after saidstep of soldering.
 62. The method of claim 58, further comprisingremoving a short formed across each side of said plurality of peaksafter said step of soldering.
 63. The method of claim 58, furthercomprising the step of encapsulating said wireless communication chipafter said step of soldering.
 64. The method of claim 58, furthercomprising the step of winding said conductive foil with said wirelesscommunication chips soldered to said conductive foil onto a reel. 65.The method of claim 64, further comprising the step of cutting saidwinding of conductive foil said wireless communication chips soldered tosaid conductive foil to form individual wireless communication devices.66. The method of claim 65, further comprising the step of attachingsaid individual wireless communication devices to tires.
 67. The methodof claim 59, further comprising the steps of: re-flow soldering saidwireless communication chips with hot gas after said step of soldering;cleaning away said excess solder away after said step of soldering; andremoving a short formed across each side of said plurality of peaksafter said step of soldering; wherein said steps of reflow-soldering,cleaning away, and removing are performed after said step of soldering.68. A method of testing a wireless communication device that is attachedto a tire during the manufacture of the tire, comprising: attaching awireless communication device that is coupled to a wave antenna thatoperates at a first frequency and is comprised of at least one conductorthat is bent in at least one position at an angle less than 180 degreesto form at least two different sections to the inside of a tire;pressurizing said tire; and communicating with said wirelesscommunication device at the first frequency to determine if saidwireless communication device is operating properly.
 69. The method ofclaim 68, wherein said step of communicating further comprisescommunicating with said wireless communication device at the firstfrequency to obtain the pressure inside the tire.
 70. The method ofclaim 69, further comprising comparing the pressure inside the tirereceived from said wireless communication device to a pressuremeasurement from a pressure measuring device attached to a needle stemon said tire.